EL PASO TEXAS- A Public Service Announcement to El Paso County residents. There is a nationwide ongoing scam involving individuals falsely representing themselves as utility companies who are requiring immediate payment to be made to prevent service(s) from being shut off. The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office is reminding citizens to be aware of the scam and to verify with their utility service if such payment is required.

The scam usually involves the victim receiving a telephone call (landline) with the caller stating he is calling on behalf of the utility company, in this instance, the Electric Company. The caller will inform the victim either she/he needs to change their meter as it is defective (catch fire, receiving the wrong reading) or their services will be suspended. The caller may also inform the victim that payment is overdue. In either case, the victim is asked to pay money to avoid services shut off and even suggests an easy and convenient way to send it using Green DOT-MoneyPak. Victims have been asked to be pay from $250 and up.

The El Paso Electric Company offers the following tips to customers to protect themselves from this type of scam. Click on icon for more information.

Be suspicious of callers asking for payment using a prepaid debit card

El Paso Electric discourages customers from providing personal & confidential information to any unknown party over the telephone